Israel/Palestinian Territories – Death of a ministry employee (16 December 2023)

The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs was deeply shocked to learn of the death of one of its employees as a result of his injuries during an Israeli bombardment in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip.

He had taken refuge in the house of one of his colleagues from the French Consulate General, together with two other colleagues and many members of their families, among others.

The house was struck on Wednesday evening by an Israeli bombing which seriously wounded our employee and killed about 10 people.

Our colleague had worked for France since 2022. Some of his family had been able to leave Gaza for France, under evacuation arrangements made by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, which took into account in particular those French people present in Gaza, employees of the Institut français and their dependents.

The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs is in contact with our colleague’s family in France. It extends its heartfelt condolences to them. This evening we all mourn their loss, and his colleagues at the French Consulate General in Jerusalem are especially in our thoughts.

France condemns this bombing of a residential building which killed many other civilians.

We demand that the Israeli authorities shed full light on the circumstances of this bombing as quickly as possible.